College Coach Didn’t Have Heartbeat After She Tried to Save Nephew from Rip Tide. It’s a ‘Miracle’ She Survived

A serious incident at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, has highlighted the perils of the ocean, following a rescue that involved a college basketball coach and her eight-year-old nephew. Nicole Woods, the head women’s basketball coach at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, came close to drowning while attempting to help her nephew during a rip current on May 21.

Woods, an experienced swimmer, recalls the terrifying moment that prompted her to leap into the water. Accompanied by her two daughters, aged 15 and 10 months, along with her niece and nephew, she had taken the children to the beach when her nephew ventured into the waves. Despite her warnings for him to stay cautious, a sudden wave submerged him, propelling Woods into action.

As she dived into the turbulent sea, both coach and nephew became ensnared by a powerful rip current. Woods described the overwhelming sensation as akin to being pulled under by a suction force. In a desperate attempt to ensure her nephew’s safety, she initiated a plan to push him towards an approaching rescuer, fully aware that rescuing both of them would be impossible.

Fortunately, help was on the way. A group of three friends—Ryan Gillespie, Giuseppe Marturano, and Dashaun Brown—who were at the beach preparing for a soccer tournament, heard the cries for assistance. Gillespie and Brown quickly entered the churning waters in a bid to rescue Woods and her nephew, despite fully comprehending the dangers involved.

Brown reflected on their instinctive decision-making, “You kinda just gotta go with your gut and do what’s right. I can’t say that I wasn’t scared… but I figured I need to save somebody’s life.” Meanwhile, Marturano remained on the shore, alerting emergency services to the dire situation unfolding in the water.

First responders, including the Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue team, arrived within minutes. They successfully brought Woods and her nephew back to shore. However, the scene was alarming, as Woods was found unresponsive, lacking a pulse. Rescuers administered chest compressions for an agonising five minutes before successfully reviving her with a defibrillator.

Gillespie, who witnessed the rescue, described the distress of seeing Woods face down in the water, fearing the worst. “I couldn’t help her anymore,” he admitted. Relief flooded over him when he learned that she had regained a pulse.

Following the harrowing incident, both Woods and her nephew were taken to a local medical centre for treatment. Woods remained on a ventilator for a day, but thankfully, she is now recovering without any lasting effects. Her nephew was kept overnight for observation, but both are headed on the path to recovery.

In a future re-evaluation of the day’s events, Woods expressed immense gratitude for the actions of those who helped, characterising their intervention as a miracle. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the ocean’s unpredictable nature and the inherent dangers it poses, even for experienced swimmers.

Bailey Hartsell, a spokesperson for the town of Wrightsville Beach, articulated the town’s gratitude towards the swift actions of the emergency services involved, emphasising the critical nature of their efforts during the rescue.

This episode underscores the importance of beach safety awareness, with officials reiterating the message that the ocean can turn perilous in an instant—an important lesson for all who venture to enjoy its beauty. Woods, reflecting on her experience, poignantly noted, “If this can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.”